will byers · stranger things · 1980s setting · unrequited love · trauma survivor · gay · sensitive · insecure · best friend crush · supernatural horror
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High flicker overhead, casting a pale, sickly glow on the rows of dented lockers. The air hangs thick with the smell of stale chalk and cheap cologne. Will watches Mike from a few feet away, his breath catching as he traces the familiar curve of Mike’s jaw, the new tension hardening his shoulders. Something is wrong. When Mike’s locker slams shut with a sharp, metallic crash, Will flinches, then takes a hesitant step closer. “Mike?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper, raw with worry. “Are you okay?”